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Warehouse converted into soundstage for film productions

Cast and crew of 'Community Service,' a four-episode gospel stage play that will air on the GMC channel, prepare to shoot a scene at Swirl Films new sound stage in Wilmington Wednesday, December 12, 2012. This was the first shoot inside the 30,000 sq. ft space.

Published: Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 6:47 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, December 13, 2012 at 6:47 p.m.

A film crew gathered Wednesday at a production company's new soundstages to film a cable network program and celebrate a rare occurrence: silence.

Gone are the blares of passing freight trains and the occasional yelp of a youngster playing nearby that once plagued Swirl Films at its Front Street warehouse.

Now, the filmmakers, who are in the forefront of the market for faith-based, family-friendly feature films and sitcoms, can worry less about the intrusion of unwanted sound and more about filmmaking.

"We do long takes because we shoot things so quickly, so sound becomes an issue when you're doing a multi-camera sitcom compared to a feature film," Swirl CEO Eric Tomosunas said.

This month, the 15-year-old company packed up thousands of dollars worth of cameras, set decor, computer equipment and costumes and moved to a nearly 30,000-square-foot soundstage complete with office space and hair, makeup and dressing rooms.

The building at 411 Landmark Drive, once a warehouse for the distribution of wholesale pharmaceuticals, sat vacant for three years before Swirl began negotiating with its owner about six months ago, Tomosunas said.

On Wednesday, crews filmed scenes for "Community Service," a gospel stage play turned sitcom that will air on the GMC channel in February.

Two sets – a living room and a pool hall – were prepped and decorated. Another three stages were empty, something the Swirl team hopes will change with the arrival of visiting filmmakers.

"We want the smaller films that the studio doesn't," said John Ferguson, lighting director for many of the company's productions. "The building is great. We're still getting a feeling for everything, but if we wanted to expand, all we would need to do is add some superficial stuff."

"This is home grown," he said. "It says a lot about the Swirl guys that they've been able to keep the majority of their work here."

Swirl fills a different need than that of Wilmington's EUE Screen Gems Studios, a 50-acre lot with 150,000-square-feet of column-free soundstages, said its executive vice president, Bill Vassar. The studio is a division of EUE Screen Gems Ltd., a 60-year-old media company based in New York.

"Swirl has the types of productions that crews can cut their teeth on and learn their skills," Vassar said. "Eric (Tomosunas) knows how to put a lot on the screen for a lot less. I have a great respect for that – there's a market for that."

Tomosunas says Swirl's stages should be able to meet a variety of needs, including providing lighting, office space, sets or insurance coverage.

"There's no rules," Tomosunas said. "If people just need space, then we can do that. The price is negotiable. We understand small budgets."

<p>A film crew gathered Wednesday at a production company's new soundstages to film a cable network program and celebrate a rare occurrence: silence.</p><p>Gone are the blares of passing freight trains and the occasional yelp of a youngster playing nearby that once plagued Swirl Films at its Front Street warehouse.</p><p>Now, the filmmakers, who are in the forefront of the market for faith-based, family-friendly feature films and sitcoms, can worry less about the intrusion of unwanted sound and more about filmmaking. </p><p>"We do long takes because we shoot things so quickly, so sound becomes an issue when you're doing a multi-camera sitcom compared to a feature film," Swirl CEO Eric Tomosunas said. </p><p>This month, the 15-year-old company packed up thousands of dollars worth of cameras, set decor, computer equipment and costumes and moved to a nearly 30,000-square-foot soundstage complete with office space and hair, makeup and dressing rooms.</p><p>The building at 411 Landmark Drive, once a warehouse for the distribution of wholesale pharmaceuticals, sat vacant for three years before Swirl began negotiating with its owner about six months ago, Tomosunas said. </p><p>On Wednesday, crews filmed scenes for "Community Service," a gospel stage play turned sitcom that will air on the GMC channel in February. </p><p>Two sets – a living room and a pool hall – were prepped and decorated. Another three stages were empty, something the Swirl team hopes will change with the arrival of visiting filmmakers.</p><p>"We want the smaller films that the studio doesn't," said John Ferguson, lighting director for many of the company's productions. "The building is great. We're still getting a feeling for everything, but if we wanted to expand, all we would need to do is add some superficial stuff."</p><p>Ferguson, CEO of Cine Partners, a longtime Wilmington motion-picture equipment company, hopes the soundstages will keep the region's filmmakers from roaming between out-of-state productions or leaving Wilmington altogether.</p><p>"This is home grown," he said. "It says a lot about the Swirl guys that they've been able to keep the majority of their work here."</p><p>Swirl fills a different need than that of Wilmington's EUE Screen Gems Studios, a 50-acre lot with 150,000-square-feet of column-free soundstages, said its executive vice president, Bill Vassar. The studio is a division of EUE Screen Gems Ltd., a 60-year-old media company based in New York.</p><p>"Swirl has the types of productions that crews can cut their teeth on and learn their skills," Vassar said. "Eric (Tomosunas) knows how to put a lot on the screen for a lot less. I have a great respect for that – there's a market for that."</p><p>Tomosunas says Swirl's stages should be able to meet a variety of needs, including providing lighting, office space, sets or insurance coverage.</p><p>"There's no rules," Tomosunas said. "If people just need space, then we can do that. The price is negotiable. We understand small budgets."</p><p><i></p><p>Cassie Foss: 343-2365</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @WilmOnFilm</i></p>